#TBT: What Defunct Owensboro Restaurants Did Your Family Used to Enjoy?

Did your family have favorite restaurants when you were a kid? The ones you would frequent more than any others?

Ours did, and on this Throwback Thursday, I thought it would be fun to share our "Big Six." Were any of THESE on your family's shortlist?

Jerry's Restaurant

Since the east side of Frederica Street from Legion Boulevard southward has changed so dramatically, it's hard to pinpoint exactly where Jerry's Restaurant was. But we were there as often as we could be. My favorite was the spaghetti. Interestingly, even when I was a kid, I was never a fan of their hot fudge cake. It was just too much. But nothing else on the menu was. Great memories.

And I'm happy to report, there is one left, and it's in Kentucky.

Western Sizzlin'

This was the place that introduced me to the salad bar, an iconic invention that--in my opinion--revolutionized the restaurant industry. The first time I saw one, my eyes popped out of my head. This location in Dunn NC indicates that Western Sizzlin' has SERIOUSLY upped its salad bar game. That doesn't look like salad to me.

SIX BARS? Come back, Western Sizzlin', come back.

The Sizzler

This is part two of my steakhouse trilogy, but--as with Western Sizzlin'--the STEAK isn't the star of this memory. I had never seen a salad bar before Western Sizzlin' and I had never had CHEESE TOAST until I had it at the Sizzler. And I haven't had it--OR Texas toast--that good since.

Ponderosa Steakhouse

Where Kentucky Parkway meets Emory Drive has always been a busy corner. Today, it's the Windy Hollow Biscuit House, but way BACK in the day, it was Ponderosa. And I remember the procedure. You walk around, place your order, get that big buttery roll, and then take your tray--WITH your order number on it--back to your table. Why is it I never remember the steaks at these places?

Anyway, did you know there's still an active Ponderosa in Vincennes IN?

@lukefoods Ponderosa Steakhouse Food Review! #ponderosa #foodreview #foodcritic #ponderosasteakhouse #critic #viral #trending #fyp #fypシ #eating #eatingshow #bestrestaurants #foodtok #foodtiktok #foodie #friedchicken #review #food #tiktokfoodie #tiktokfood #mukbang #buffet #steak #steaktiktok #chicken #macandcheese ♬ original sound - lukefoods

Cornell's Restaurant

I think everyone had a different favorite at Cornell's. For me, it was their chocolate milk. I've never had it as good as it was at Cornell's. And I've never found a brand that duplicates it since the restaurant closed in the early 1980's. But what a fun place to eat and gather, especially when they hosted live music.

O'Henry's Restaurant

The building is gone, but it was located on Triplett Street immediately north of the 18th Street intersection. My dad was old friends with proprietor, and the specialty of the house was chili and a hamburger. I was still a kid when it closed, but I remember how good the food was. They also had mini-jukeboxes at each table. Alas, I can't find anything about O'Henry's online. But I'll always have the memories.